Identity Crisis and Regeneration in Minority Female Literature: A Comparative Study between Beatrice Culleton’s In Search of April Raintree, Leila Aboulela’s Minaret, and Assia Djebar’s The Tongue’s Blood Does not Run Dry

Abstract

This PhD research delves into minority female identity construction within colonial and post- colonial contexts, exploring the interplay between crisis and regeneration from childhood to adulthood in the works of three minority female writers. It examines how early environments, family dynamics, and colonial legacies shape self-concepts, demonstrating the enduring impact of childhood experiences on adult identity formation. Highlighting the role of language in exacerbating identity crises, the study underscores the triple displacement experienced by minority women. It argues that societal norms and same-gender relationships hinder the protagonists' quest for self-acceptance and regeneration, with colonial legacies, patriarchal influences, and interpersonal dynamics serving as pivotal milestones in their journey. By analyzing literary devices used by the writers to resist societal conventions and political systems, the study offers novel insights through comparative and close reading analyses, challenging previous scholarly approaches